ISO/WD 6128 Laminated products made of bamboo strips for indoor furniture purposes

Laminated bamboo strips (commonly called as engineered bamboo in the Philippines) are bambooproducts that are manufactured by binding together strips or slats of bamboo with a suitableadhesive to form a composite material designed to meet specific uses. These are then usedworldwide to make attractive furniture, which is often stronger and less prone to warping thanequivalent solid woods. Furniture for the “high end” and Do-It-Yourself markets have also found anapplication of laminated bamboo products.Laminated products made of bamboo strips do have potential in the market due to its uniqueness,the ingenuity and craftsmanship of local designers and workers. Existing potential demand forLaminated products made of bamboo strips includes furniture-manufacturing firms, engineersinvolved in the construction of residential buildings, designers, manufacturers and traders oflaminated bamboo products, i.e., tiles, tabletops, floorboards, among others. Aside from it,Executive Order (EO) 879 mandates the use of engineered bamboo for school desks and otherfurniture. It also directed the prioritization in the use of bamboo in furniture, fixtures and otherconstruction requirements of government facilities. With its given demand, it belongs to one of theprojects that the Philippine government promotes.

At present, ISO/TC 296 WG 2 is working on the development of ISO Standard on bamboo flooringand decking for indoor and outdoor use, respectively. It is also necessary that the committeeconsider formulating standard on Laminated products made of bamboo strips that will cover theother laminated bamboo products not only bamboo flooring. The development of ISO Standard onlaminated bamboo will boost and facilitate international trade of laminated bamboo; providelaminated bamboo product guidance to consumers and other stakeholders and may enhance thelaminated bamboo product value, effectiveness, and market competitiveness.The development of International Standard on Laminated Bamboo will address the challenges ondifferent trade barriers and shortage of quality standards faced by the bamboo industry.In view of the above, such applications of laminated bamboos in the furniture industry warrants thedevelopment of a standard testing procedure and property requirements. A standard for bambooflooring is presently being drafted but there is no initiative yet on developing a standard for furniturefor indoor applications using laminated bamboo. This New Work Item Proposal aims to address theneed for a standard for laminated products made of bamboo strips for indoor furniture purposes.